Phantom of the Avatar
by Elisafairy
Summary: Young waterbender Katara is just waiting for her chance to shine. That time may have finally come, but a mysterious being lurks in the darkness of the theater!
1. Chapter 1: The Waterbending Show

Katara and her friend Meg were practicing their water bending for the upcoming water bending show, twisting and turning the water through the air, forming it into different shapes as they danced. As the water swirled around her, she wondered why she didn't get the position of lead water bender in the upcoming performance. Carlotta always seemed to get the leading role, although her skills were more than a little shaky.

"Don't worry about Carlotta," Meg said. She always seemed to know what Katara was thinking. "They just haven't recognized your talent yet. They probably think you're too young and inexperienced for the part, but one day they'll see how good you are."

"Thank you," Katara said. She was grateful for the encouragement, but she still felt unsure. She had practiced for so long and was now one of the best water benders, but no one seemed to take notice.

Katara's Gran-Gran clapped her hands together. "Let's rehearse now. Take it from the top!"

The water benders all filed onto the stage and began to rehearse their choreographed moves. _If only Gran-Gran were in charge of choosing who would be the lead water bender,_ Katara thought. As it were, the owners of the theater got to pick, rather than the head of the water bending company, because they wanted to be sure they got the biggest audience (and most money) possible.

Still, Carlotta was far from the best. Katara had a feeling that Carlotta was related to one of the theater owners somehow.

The lead water bender was just beginning her solo performance, when a burst of flames came down from the rafters and singed the floor right next to Carlotta's feet. The heat caused the water she was bending to evaporate immediately. She squealed and jumped back. "What was _that_?"

Gran-Gran smiled a mysterious smile that said she knew more than she was willing to tell. "Why, it's only the Phantom Fire Bender, my dear."

"_Only_ the Phantom Fire Bender?" Carlotta shrieked. "I don't know who or what this phantom is, but that fire could have killed me! Make sure this doesn't happen again, or I quit."

"Fine," said Gran-Gran. "Quit, then. No one can stop the Fire Phantom. He does what he pleases."

Carlotta shrieked and stormed away. "Bring me my Koalaotter!"

Katara suppressed a giggle when she heard someone say, "Her father won't be happy." _I guess I was right about her having a behind-the-scenes relative._

"Now who will play the part?" someone else asked worriedly.

"Well," said Gran-Gran, "I don't like to brag, but my granddaughter, Katara, is quite the talented water bender. She may be young, but she knows much more than most people, and she learns quickly."

"Fine, fine," said one of the theater owners. He didn't sound very enthusiastic. "Let's see what she can do." Katara looked at him blankly, feeling something she rarely felt: nervousness. The man snapped, "Well what are you waiting for?" and she hurried to the front and center of the stage. Someone backstage turned on some music and Katara began.

Her nervousness soon fell away as she twirled around, making the water rise and fall in time to the melody. She made it form beautiful, complex shapes and spun it around herself. Her eyes closed and she felt one with the water. This was where she belonged. This was her chance to shine.

When she had finished the solo, she stood there, her eyes open. She had forgotten that everyone had been watching her. She blushed, a little embarrassed. She had gotten so carried away, she wasn't sure if she'd been water bending for a few seconds or a few hours.

It didn't matter. The theater owners, the other water benders, and her Gran-Gran clapped loudly for her, looking astounded. She smiled gently, and then looked up into the rafters. She'd heard clapping coming from up there, too. Whoever it was turned around with a _swoosh_ of their cape, and disappeared.

Was the Phantom clapping for her too? She felt sure he was.


	2. Chapter 2: Katara's Mysterious Tutor

Phantom of the Avatar – Chapter Two

Meg ran over to Katara and congratulated her on getting the part. "Want to go to Iroh's Tea Shop and celebrate?" she asked.

Katara almost said yes, then stopped. "I'm sorry, Meg. I- I have to meet with someone."

"Oh? And who would that be?"

"My water bending tutor. He says he's an old friend of my parents, but he seems only a couple of years older than me and you. A very mysterious guy."

"Is he handsome? What's his name?"

"He is very handsome, at least the part of his face that I've seen. But for some reason, he hides part of his face with a mask. His name is Zuko."

Meg looked shocked, then snorted. "That almost sounds like a fire bender name. You can't trust those fire benders."

Katara shook her head. "No, he's really kind, believe me. Strangely, he says he doesn't have the bending ability, like my brother. But he knows all the moves and has his form down perfectly."

"Well, you be careful, Katara," Meg said. "I'll see you later."

Meg left, and Katara went down to the cellar of the Grande Avatar Theater. She called Zuko's name, and he stepped out of the shadows silently. "Hello, Katara. It's good to see you again."

"You'll never believe what happened today. A burst of fire came from the rafters and nearly killed Carlotta. Gran-Gran says it was a phantom who lives here at the theatre. I've practiced here at the theater with you many times, and I've never seen anything like it."

"Yes, I've heard the tale," Zuko said. "It's a long story. The phantom only shows up occasionally, usually when he's angry."

"But… why would he be angry that Carlotta was performing?"

"Who knows? Perhaps he wished for someone else to get the part." Zuko stared into Katara's large, azure eyes, and she found herself unable to look away. Suddenly, Zuko turned away and coughed. "But enough of that. Now that you've got Carlotta's part, you'll need to practice extra hard."

"Okay," Katara said with a nod, then turned and looked at him suspiciously. "How did you know I got the part?"

Zuko looked startled for a moment, unsure of what to say. That was rare for him. He was usually so proper and composed. But the flicker of uncertainty that showed on his face only lasted a second. "Things get around the theater quickly," he said, collected and sure-sounding once more. "Your Gran-Gran told me. Now, let's begin."

Zuko swept his arms around in different motions. He was graceful, but it was only dancing when he did it. There was no control over any elements: water, fire, earth, or air.

Katara copied his moves, but as she did so, water followed her arm movements. _I can't imagine what it would be like to have no bending ability,_ she thought. Sometimes Zukos had a sad look in his eyes. Was it because he felt empty without any connection to an element?

When they had finished practicing, Katara asked. "What's it like, not being able to do any kind of bending? You often look kind of sad, and I wondered if that was the reason."

"It's not that," he answered. "Not being able to bend elements isn't that bad. Besides, I get to see my dreams lived out through you."

"You wanted to be a water bender?"

"Yeah, something like that…"

"So, how do you know all of those bending moves if you can't actually manipulate any element?"

Zuko sighed. "That's enough questions for now." He turned to go.

"But-"

"You are dismissed, Katara!" Zuko sounded angrier than she'd ever heard him before.

Katara turned and headed up the stairs. _Did I see fire come from his fingertips when he yelled at me?_

*****

The night came for Katara's performance at the Grande Avatar Theater. She had been practicing for weeks with Zuko, who seemed to pretend that he had never yelled at her, and that Katara had not asked a single question. Katara wore a shimmering blue dress that matched her eyes, and had her long, brown hair down. Diamonds and blue gems sparkled around her neck and on her ears. _This is a really impractical dress, and I've only rehearsed in it a few times. I hope I don't trip._

Her worries were unnecessary. Her cue came, and she began her water bending solo. She pictured Zuko next to her and went through the motions that he had taught her, twisting the water to her will, making it flow in time with her steps.

She made a big finish, with huge splashes of gleaming water everywhere. She curtsied and smiled at the cheering crowd, then smiled even bigger when she noticed a certain air bender in the audience. _Aang!_ She'd almost shouted his name aloud.

As soon as the scene was through, she rushed behind the thick, blue velvet curtains. Aang was waiting for her there, and they hugged. "I haven't seen you in forever!" she said. "I'm so glad you came!"

"I'm so glad to see you too. I was passing through town and saw your name on a poster. I couldn't believe my Katara had the leading part!"

"What, you didn't think I could do it?" she teased.

"No," Aang said. "I _knew _you could do it. Ever since we were little."

"Who's this?" Meg asked.

"Hey, Meg," Katara said. "I want you to meet Aang, an old friend of mine."

"Nice to meet you. Aang, could Katara and I speak in private, please?"

"Sure thing," the air bender said, and left.

"Katara, I think your boyfriend is the phantom."

"Aang?!" Katara couldn't have been more shocked. "But- but he's an air bender!"

"Don't be stupid," Meg said. "I meant Zuko."

"Oh. What makes you think that? He doesn't even have the ability to element bend." _Or does he?_ Katara was feeling nervous.

"I talked a little with your Gran-Gran today about the Grande Avatar Theater. She says the phantom is young. And handsome. And wears a mask."

"No. No, it's just a coincidence. It has to be."

Meg held her friend's hands in hers and looked her in the eyes. "No, Katara. She even told me the phantom's name. His name is… Zuko."


	3. Chapter 3: The Phantom Prince

Phantom of the Avatar – Chapter Three

"But- but…" Katara stuttered. _How could this be?_

"Katara, Zuko is the Phantom Firebender." Meg spoke calmly, trying to get her friend to understand

"Zuko doesn't even have bending abilities!" Katara protested.

"Maybe he's been hiding them from you. How would someone with no bending ability be able to show you all those moves?"

Katara thought about it for a moment. It all matched up perfectly. Zuko _had_ told her not to tell anyone about him. _I guess the phantom didn't want anyone to know who he really was. _She'd promised not to tell, and she'd broken that promise when she'd told Meg. Now Meg had made the connection. Katara's mysterious tutor was the phantom firebender.

Katara composed herself. "So what if he is the 'phantom'? This doesn't change anything. He's just a regular guy, my friend and tutor."

"He may not be a real 'phantom' but if this guy's living in the basement of a theatre and wants to keep his identity a secret, he's probably a wanted criminal or something. You shouldn't hang around him, Katara; he's dangerous."

"I don't believe that. There's got to be another reason he lives here, and I'm going to find out."

Katara walked as fast as she could to her Gran-Gran's room at the theatre. "Gran-Gran. I have to speak with you. It's about… it's about the phantom."

Gran-Gran looked surprised. "Two people wanting to know about the phantom in one day? Your friend Meg was here just earlier."

"Yes, I know. Gran-Gran, the reason I'm so good at waterbending is because I have a secret tutor. His name is Zuko."

Gran-Gran's eyes grew wide. She opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. "Zuko… is your waterbending tutor?"

"Yes. He doesn't know how to waterbend, but he shows me the motions. He said he has no bending ability at all, but I'm not so sure about that now. Meg told me that the phantom of the Grand Avatar Theatre was named Zuko, and everything about him seems to match up with the phantom's description. I think he must have been hiding his bending ability."

Gran-Gran nodded. "Yes, yes… That poor Zuko."

"Poor Zuko? What's wrong with him? How do you know him and why does he live in the basement of the theate?"

"I guess the time has come that I must tell you this story, since Zuko is your friend too. Here it goes…

You know of the leader of the fire nation; everyone does. He is a cruel man, and everyone knows that too. What few know is that he had a son, and his son's name was Zuko."

Katara gasped and Gran-Gran told her not to interrupt the story.

"Yes, Zuko is the long-lost prince of the fire nation. Zuko was born when his grandfather was the leader, not his father. His grandfather was also a cruel man. When Zuko was young, his father and grandfather beat him, sometimes because they said he was weak, sometimes because they just felt like it. It left a terrible scar on his face and that is why he wears the mask he does.

Zuko would eventually be heir to the throne, but his grandfather and father wanted his sister, Azuela to be the eventual leader of the fire nation. She was cruel like them and they thought she would be a stronger leader. So, Zuko and Azuela's grandfather sentenced Zuko to death, so Azuela could take his place as heir.

But before they could take the young prince away to be killed, Zuko's mother stepped up and offered to take his place. Zuko's grandfather accepted the offer and took her to the dungeon where she was to be killed. The grandfather had wanted Zuko's mother killed anyway; she was always meddling in everyone's affairs and preventing the innocent from being harmed. Besides, what would stop him from killing both Zuko and his mother?

So, Zuko's mother was killed, and Zuko was about to be killed. But before they could get Zuko, he fled with his kind Uncle Iroh…"

Katara gasped again. "The guy who runs the tea shop?"

"Yes," Gran-Gran said. "Stop interrupting. Anyway, they stayed hidden for as long as they could, but even after Zuko's grandfather died and his father became emperor, his father was still angry with him. He was afraid he might show up at the last second and take his place as heir to the fire nation. So he sent his soldiers out to find and kill Zuko.

That is when Zuko and I met. I caught him sneaking into this theatre late at night. I do not know why he trusted me enough, but he told me his story. I offered to help him hide in the Grand Avatar Theatre, and I help him get food. There have been a few close calls with the soldiers, but they have not found him yet. I think they have stopped searching by now, but it is still not safe for him to leave the theatre.

The reason he came to the theatre is because he always loved dancing and acting. He had always wanted to be a firebending performer as a child, and he had a lot of talent. He goes by the name of "The Phantom" and stays hidden now, so no one will learn of his identity. But it seems like now someone has."

Katara was shocked. She had been shocked when she learned that her tutor was the phantom. But she was even more shocked to learn that he was a fugitive prince running from his evil father. "So what now?"

"Let Zuko know that you know his identity, then assure him you will keep it a secret. I will try to convince Meg to keep it a secret."

"Okay."

_To Be Continued…_


	4. Chapter 4: Zuko's Reaction

"Zuko… I know your secret." Katara was in the basement of the Grande Avatar Theatre again, with Zuko, her friend and tutor. _Why do I have to tell him I know? Why can't I just keep it a secret and keep living like everything's the same and he's not a fugitive, fire-bending prince? Because Meg might tell, and then he'd be in trouble, and he should be prepared, _she told herself. _I shouldn't have told Meg._

He turned to look at her. "What?" Zuko looked a bit panicked at first, but his look of uncertainty was gone in a flash. "Oh, you know I'm the 'Phantom'. Well, I knew it'd get out sooner or later."

Katara shook her head. "No. I _do_ know that you're the phantom. But I also know who you really are."

"How much do you know? How did you find out?" He sounded as though he were trying with all his might to keep his emotions and his voice under control.

"I know that you are the long-lost prince of the Fire Nation, and that your father is out to kill you, and that is why you live in the basement of the theater and disguise yourself as the phantom. At first I didn't know about you being a prince. I only knew you were the phantom. That was easy, I just put two and two together and it was obvious. So I asked my Gran-Gran more, and she explained the rest."

"That fool!" he growled. "Why did she have to tell you?"

"My grandmother is not a fool!" Katara said indignantly. "She told me because you and I are friends and I needed to know."

"But how long are we friends for, Katara?" he asked quietly. "I haven't known you for all that long. Can I really trust you to keep my secret?"

"Yes! Of course you can!" Katara felt close to tears. _I thought he trusted me…_ "Why would I give you away? I don't want your crazy father and his soldiers coming here for revenge!"

"Is that because you don't want me hurt? Or because you don't want _yourself_ hurt?" Zuko asked suspiciously. He wanted to trust her, but he just couldn't.

"I care about you Zuko, believe me!"

Zuko sighed. "I'm sorry. I know I should believe you. I've just got… trust issues. It's so hard to find a friend who won't just turn me in for the reward money."

"I would never do that."

He smiled at her. "I know. Thank you, and I apologize for how I've been behaving."

"It's okay." _Now for the hard part,_ Katara thought. She breathed in deeply, then said, "I told my friend, Meg, about you, and now she knows you're the phantom."

"You did what?" Zuko shouted, flames coming from his fingertips.

Katara gulped and did her best to keep her cool. "I told my friend about you," she repeated, "and now she knows you're the phantom. But she doesn't know about you being the missing prince."

"Still, if she knows one, she's bound to find out the other sooner or later!" He threw a ball of fire in Katara's direction. She dodged it, and he sent another her way. Quickly, she threw a ball of water to douse it. He continued throwing fireballs and she continued putting them out. She could hold her own against almost anybody in a fight. She thought about summoning up all the water she could reach and blasting him with it, but she decided against it. She was a strong waterbender; a move like that could kill someone. She dropped her hands and let the water fall.

"Stop it," she said. "This isn't going to make anything better. I was wrong to break my promise and tell her about you, okay? I'm sorry."

"Sorry's not going to make anything better," Zuko said, imitating Katara.

"Don't be so immature."

"Apparently I can't trust you to keep a secret. So you're coming with me." He grabbed her by the wrist. "Few know this, but the basement isn't the lowest level of the theatre. Underground, there's a catacomb from way before the theatre was built, back when another building stood there. Only a few people know about it now, so you're not likely to be found."

"Let go!" Katara shrieked, trying to pull away. She kicked at Zuko and he winced, but ignored the pain and began to lead her down a flight of steps that were hidden in shadow.

Down in the catacomb, there was only dim light from torches on the walls. Katara wasn't sure whether afraid because she couldn't see her surroundings, or glad she couldn't see into the shadows, because what she might see may be worse. After walking down a long hallway, they finally turned right and entered a large room, brightly lit with hundreds of candles that were all over the place.

"Welcome to my home," Zuko said.

There was a pipe organ, and a huge bed with a canopy, and a long dining table, as well as other large, magnificent pieces of furniture. "If I have to be a fugitive prince," Zuko said, "I'd rather live like a prince than a fugitive."

"Where'd you get all this stuff?"

"I'm not telling." Still holding her wrist tight, he grabbed a pair of handcuffs off of a small table, pulled her over to the bed, and handcuffed her to the bedpost. "Stay here. Not like you have any choice. Now, I'm off to find your friend."

As Zuko left the room, Katara tried every way to escape, but there was none. _I shouldn't have told him Meg's name. Now he'll find her and bring her down here, too._ Hours passed, and finally Zuko brought Meg back. She fought a little harder than Katara, but Zuko still managed to handcuff her to the leg of the dining table.

When Zuko had left again, Meg said, "See? I told you he was some kind of crazy criminal."

"He's not, he's just afraid."

Meg snorted. "Of what?"

"He's… the missing prince of the Fire Nation. He's afraid we might give him away, and then his evil father would come and kill him."

"Great. So what are we going to do?"

"Wait for rescue, I guess," Katara said. "I'm not one to easily admit defeat, but I'm not seeing any way out of these handcuffs."

They both sighed and sat there for a moment, feeling doomed. "There's still Aang and Gran-Gran, right?" Katara said.

"Yeah," Meg agreed. "Your Gran-Gran would know where the catacombs are. She would eventually search here if we went missing like we have."

Katara and Meg tried to break the handcuffs with a blast of water, but it would be impossible for even the strongest waterbending master. "Alright," Katara said. "It's all up to Gran-Gran and Aang now."

"Great," Meg said. "Our lives are depending on your ancient grandmother and your wimpy boyfriend now."

Katara glared at her, but she knew it was true. _It's hopeless, _she thought.

_To be continued…_


	5. Chapter 5: Escape and Zuko's Request

Kanna, aka Gran-Gran, was waiting for Katara and Meg to show up for rehearsal. _Strange,_ she thought. _Katara's usually not so careless. She's usually the first one here for practice._ Then it hit her. _Zuko! _She narrowed her eyes and stood from the table she was sitting at, slamming down the cup she had been drinking out of. _Katara went to speak to him earlier. I should have known not to trust him! That vain, selfish, distrustful Firebender!_

She began to storm down the hallway just as Aang, Katara's best friend from childhood, was walking that way. "Where's Katara?" the airbender asked.

"I'm not sure, but I think I have an idea," Kanna grumbled. "Come with me. Katara may be in serious danger."

Aang followed Kanna down into the basement of the Grand Avatar Theatre. "I don't see her anywhere down here," Aang said.

"Not in the basement," Kanna told him, "but lower. Few people know about this. Come here." She turned a corner in the basement that was hidden in shadow. There was a flight of steps hidden in the darkness.

The old woman and the airbender entered the catacombs, walking in the dimly lit corridors until they came to Zuko's room.

"Gran-Gran!" Katara cried. She was still handcuffed to the bedpost, as she had been for hours. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't find us! I told Zuko… and he wasn't too happy, as you can see."

Kanna and Aang ran to Katara, and Kanna hugged her granddaughter. "I wish I'd found you sooner. How long have you been down here?"

"I don't know… hours. I tried to blast the handcuffs open with my waterbending, but I couldn't."

"Hello!" Meg called. "I'm still here, too!" Katara's friend sat on the floor, handcuffed to a table leg.

"Oh, dear," Kanna said. "I'm sorry; I almost didn't notice you. Okay, now to break you two out of these handcuffs. It's a good thing there's a lot of moisture down here." _Katara doesn't believe I can do it,_ Kanna thought._ I can see it on her face._ She smiled. _Now to show her what her dear old grandmother can really do!_

The old waterbender turned to Aang. "When you see me release the water, back it up with a gust of air." She concentrated on the moisture in the air and began to pull it towards her, feeling its strength. _It's damp down here, but will it be enough for a feat like this?_ She pulled the water closer and compacted it, then concentrated even harder. Everything was silent for a moment as she held the ball of water mid-air. After the moment of silence, she pushed the water forward with all of the strength she had in her body. As soon as Aang saw her release the water, he sent a gust of air to follow it, pushing it even harder towards Katara's handcuffs.

The blast of water hit the handcuffs and bent the metal out of shape, allowing Katara to slip her hands through. Kanna sank to the floor, and Katara ran to her. "Gran-Gran!" she screamed. "Gran-Gran, are you okay?"

Kanna looked up at her, and Katara helped her to her feet. "I'm alright. I'm just not as young as I once was. Things like that tire me out now."

"I can't believe you did it," Katara said in awe.

"You'd better believe it," Kanna said, a twinkle in her eye. She smiled at her granddaughter.

"Hello!" Meg called. "You're forgetting me again!"

"Katara," Kanna said, "I'm too exhausted to do that again. Do you think you can copy what I did and free Meg?"

Katara nodded, but she felt uncertain. She had mostly learned how to make her waterbending graceful, not powerful. Could she really pull this off when all she knew were moves for show? She concentrated on the water and pulled it to her as she had seen her grandmother do. That was the easy part. Now for the hard part.

She concentrated even more deeply, feeling the pulse and flow of the water, trying to hold it steady. It wobbled in the air.

"Keep it stable," Kanna said. "You're just nervous. Hold it steady like you do on stage. Now compact it, and make it tight."

Katara followed the instructions and focused on the water, with its pure, coursing power. She felt its strength and tried to contain the water in a single ball. She nodded to show Aang that she was ready, then pushed her arms forward with all her might, sending the ball of water flying. Aang's air helped to push it forward.

The surprise came when, rather than bending out of shape, Meg's handcuffs busted apart completely.

"I am impressed," Kanna said, eyes wide. "Even I could not do that, and you have never had strength training before. It seems you are a natural-born master of water. All you had to do was follow the technique."

"Let's get out of here before Katara's crazy boyfriend, Zuko gets back," Meg said.

"Boyfriend?" Aang said. No one paid him any attention.

They were too busy listening to the approaching sound of footsteps. There was no getting away. They would simply have to face Zuko.

"Well, we outnumber him, don't we?" Meg said, looking on the bright side.

"In numbers, but maybe not in strength," Kanna said. "He was born with a strong connection to fire, and he has trained long and hard for many years."

It seemed like an eternity before the footsteps stopped and Zuko stood there, looking at them. "I see you've managed to escape. It doesn't surprise me. You _were_ trained by the best, Katara," he said, pointing to himself.

Katara extracted water from the damp air and pulled it back, ready to fight off Zuko. She tried to feel the strength she had last time, but her muscles ached from performing that move Kanna had just taught her. The water wavered and collapsed, droplets hitting the floor. _That last move must have taken a lot out of me, _Katara thought.

Zuko grinned. "What's wrong? Can't get the water to work for you?" He punched the air, and Katara dodged the flames that his fist pushed outward. "Nothing personal, I just can't let you give me away."

"Please," Katara said, trying to pull the water to her again. "Stop. I'm not going to turn you in."

"How do I know that?" Zuko asked, suspicious. He sent another punch of flames out, and Katara doused it with her water.

"I can't prove it to you if you don't give me a chance."

"It's not worth the risk." Another fireball, another ball of water to put it out.

"It is," Katara said. "I care for you, Zuko. I would never turn you in for the reward."

Aang winced when she said she cared for Zuko. Again, everyone ignored him.

Zuko began to create another fireball, then stopped. He dropped his arms and the fire dwindled, then vanished. "Okay," he sighed, sounding tired. "Prove to me that you care about me."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Help me find my mother."

_To be continued…_


	6. Chapter 6: Into the Fire Nation

"But- you're mother is dead!" Katara felt bad immediately after she'd said it. _I could have put that a nicer way._

"I have reason to believe she isn't," Zuko responded. "She was supposed to be executed all those years ago, but I don't think she was. My father may have been a cruel man and hated me, but he loved my mother. He never would have let my grandfather execute her."

"Well, what are we supposed to do? Where do we even start with something like this?"

"At the palace, of course. It will be risky, but that's why I need you to help me. I would be stopped the second I step onto the Fire Palace's front yard, but I'm sure you guys could get in somehow."

"Count me out!" Kanna said, holding her back. "I've had enough adventure for a while."

"What, so you're just going to make us go alone?" Katara asked Zuko angrily. "You're not even going to help at all?"

"Of course I'll help. I'll just have to do it behind-the-scenes so my father won't notice me. Now here's the plan…"

Katara, Meg and Aang crouched behind a building, wearing Fire Nation clothing. Aang wore a straw farmer's hat to cover the tattoo on his head. "Remember," Katara said. "No waterbending or airbending. Just act natural. Any questions?"

Aang raised his hand.

Katara rolled her eyes. "Yes, Aang?"

"Um, shouldn't we act _un_natural? Because if we're acting natural, they're going to know we're water and air benders."

"Okay, then. Act _un_natural. Just pretend you're a member of the Fire Nation, and don't let anyone know otherwise."

Together they walked down a dusty road in a small Fire village, avoiding eye contact with the peasants and merchants. Aang began to turn around when a man asked, "Would you like to buy any cabbages?" but Meg smacked the airbender's hand and they continued walking.

"We're important Fire Nation nobility," Meg said. "We do not interact with travelling cabbage merchants."

They turned right and came to a dark, narrow street. Something small ran by in the shadows. "Are you sure this is the right way?" Aang asked, keeping as close to the center of the path and as far from the shadows as he could.

Katara nodded. "This is the way." She noticed a large shadow flicker on the wall of a building, then disappear. Meg yelped, but Katara knew it was just Zuko. _He's followed us like he promised he would._

Suddenly, Aang screamed. Katara turned around and saw Meg struggling to pull some kind of creature off of Aang's face. "Get it off!" he yelled. Meg finally pulled the creature off and it went flying into a pile of garbage in the alley. The animal quickly sat up and hissed at them.

"It's just a flying lemur," Katara said. "You probably just scared him."

Aang crouched down and reached out his hand. "Hey, little guy, it's alright." The lemur crept closer, then bit Aang on the hand and ran to hide inside a wooden crate.

"Just leave him alone," Meg said. "We don't have time for this."

They began to leave when the lemur came running after them and leaped onto Aang's shoulder, rubbing against his face. "He came back! Let's keep him. I'll name him Momo."

"I'm sorry, Aang," Katara told him. "I don't think we can. What we're about to do is very dangerous... 'Momo' might get in the way."

"Awww… Sorry, Momo." Aang lifted the lemur off of his shoulder and set him on the ground. This time he didn't follow as they continued to make their way through the darks streets of the village.

:::

Katara, Aang and Meg walked down a road in the countryside. The sun beat down on them as they travelled.

"How long have we been wandering around this stupid Fire Nation?" Meg moaned. "Can't we just pull some water out of the air to drink?"

"We've only been walking for a couple of hours," Katara said. Meg interrupted with a groan, and Katara continued, "The royal city's got to be nearby now. I followed all of Zuko's directions. He's been following us at a distance, so he'd stop and tell us if we were going the wrong way. And no, we cannot just pull water out of the air! Someone might see us!"

"This road is deserted. No one's going to see us." Meg began to lift her hands to waterbend, but Katara grabbed her wrist.

"I mean it. We can't risk being caught. We're _royal Fire Nation musicians_, remember?"

Meg faked a smile as a villager walked by them on the road. "Of course! I was only joking!" she muttered through her grin.

"Told you someone would come by," Katara hissed when the villager was gone.

After a little more walking, they saw red roofs on the horizon. _The Royal City!_ "I knew we were going the right way!" Katara shouted. "Come on!" She ran down the path with Meg and Aang following, Aang sitting atop a spinning ball of air until they reminded him not to blow their cover. They ran all the way to the palace in the middle of the city and would have run right up the front steps of the palace, but spears crossed in front of them, knocking them back. Two very large and muscular, fire-bending guards stood there, looking not-so-happy. "Who do you think you are?" one of them growled.

"We're, uh… royal court musicians," Katara lied. She'd had this planned out, but it was so much harder to do than she'd imagined. _If they find us out, they'll kill us!_ She tried to keep calm, and hoped the guards couldn't see her fear.

"Where are your instruments, then?" the second guard asked.

_Oh, great. They're brighter than they look, and I didn't get this far with the plan._ "We sing – A Capella!" Katara exclaimed. _It's a good thing I came up with that off the top of my head._ Meg and Aang nodded in agreement.

The guards looked a bit confused, like they didn't know what that meant, but they uncrossed their spears and loosened up a little. "Okay, go on ahead," one of them said.

Katara, Meg and Aang entered the palace.


	7. Chapter 7: Showdown with the Firelord

"Bum-bum bum-bum, bum-bum, bum-bum," Aang kept the beat with his voice as Katara sang and Meg harmonized wordlessly.

"Hail to the king of the fire nation!" Katara sang. "We should all give him a standing ovation. He's extremely handsome and a genius, too. Everyone in the world knows that it's true. He's the most powerful fire-bender there ever was. We all follow him because…"

Katara sang the makeshift song she'd arranged as they'd travelled down the palace halls to the throne room. _I'm lucky I came up with that lie about us being a capella musicians._ Now she stood before the fire nation leader, who sat on his throne and listened as the group made music with only their voices.

_They're a lousy bunch of singers, _he was currently thinking, leaning back in his throne. _And I don't know how they got through the guards without an appointment, but they do know what they're talking about when they say that I'm handsome and a genius._

Katara continued, "He's always right and never wrong! He's the best, so we sing this song. To celebrate and let him know… um…" Katara faltered. _What was the next line we came up with?_

The fire nation leader was growing bored, and he tapped his fingers on the armrest of the throne impatiently. Aang decided to improvise. "…that he's way better than Prince Zuko!" Katara gulped. Whatever the next line had been, it definitely wasn't that.

"What did you say?" the fire lord growled, rising from his throne. He slammed his fist down on the throne's armrest and roared, "What do you know of Prince Zuko?"

"He didn't say Zuko," Meg said quickly. "He said-"

Before Meg could even get her excuse out, the king shouted, "Seize them!"

Two guards apiece grabbed Katara, Meg and Aang by their arms. "Thanks, Aang," Meg growled.

"Sorry! I was just trying to help!" Aang said sheepishly.

"What shall we do with them, your majesty?" one of the guards asked.

"Throw them in the dungeon but do not kill them! Do not even harm them… yet. I want to know what they know about my son."

Katara was pretty sure the two guards holding her arms could hear her, but she leaned over and whispered anyway, "I think since we've already blown our cover, we can do our bending now."

"Agreed," Meg said. She drew water out of the air and willed it to wrap around the guards holding her, then used the watery tentacles to throw the guards across the room.

"Nice job!" Katara said, impressed. She did the same, then turned to look at the four guards, lying in a puddle on the other side of the throne room and rubbing their heads. "That works nicely!" She blasted the guards holding Aang with two pillars of water, and soon Aang was free too.

"Get up!" the fire lord shouted at the guards. "You fools, do I have to do everything myself?" He quickly tore of his royal, flame-red robes and stood standing in shorts, bare-chested.

"He's muscular for an old-guy," Aang muttered.

"Well hey, remember your old friend King Bumi," Katara reminded him.

"True," Aang replied.

The fire nation lord apparently didn't like being called an old man. He also apparently forgot completely about taking the prisoners alive and unharmed. He roared in fury and stomped his foot, burning a hole into the floor with his fire power. He outstretched both of his arms in front of him, and a blast of fire came from each hand. Katara and Meg combined their power and created a wall of water. The fireballs hit the water wall and were extinguished. Meg and Katara high-fived, still keeping the wall intact. Suddenly, there was a _whoosh_ and a sizzling sound as the wall of water evaporated. Blue fire glowed on the fire lord's hands. _We're doomed,_ Katara thought. She and her friend rolled out of the way as Zuko's father threw fireball after fireball at them, which burned into the walls and floors.

_I really should have ordered the fireproof walls and floors,_ the fire nation leader thought to himself as he prepared to aim at them again.

_We're doing pretty well, _Katara thought. _We're dodging the fireballs, anyway._ Little did she know that the fire lord had changed his plan completely. His goal was not to hit them with the fireballs anymore, but something else entirely. Katara stopped rolling around and dodging fireballs long enough to see that see and Meg were trapped in a ring of blazing blue fire. "Wow." _Totally unexpected._ "Meg! Try and put out the fire! I'm going to fight the firelord. Aang, you help put out the fire, too!"

Meg got to work dousing the fire, as Katara prepared for battle. There was not much moisture here, but she pulled as much as she could out of the air and blasted it through the ring of flames, hitting the firelord. It slammed him into the wall, but he only stood right back up as if it had hardly hurt him. _Well, I'll just have to keep at it, then._ Katara blasted water towards him over and over, but he dodged most of the attacks and seemed unphased by the rest.

Katara kept fighting as she called to Meg, "Have you put out any of the fire yet?"

"Um, I had, but we've got a problem."

"What?" Katara asked, still blasting the firelord with water and avoiding his fire attacks.

"Look."

Katara ducked to avoid a fireball, then spun around to see what Meg was pointing at. The ring of fire was huge on one side, with flames taller than they had been before. "What happened?" he shouted.

Aang looked away, his face red. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean…"

"He tried to put out the fire with his air," Meg said. "It only added oxygen, feeding the fire."

"Oh, great," Katara grumbled. She dodged one fire ball, then doused another with her water. "Well, we can still put out the fire on the other side of the ring, and escape that way, right?"

"There's only one problem with your plan," Meg said. "The exit's on the side that Aang made worse. If we go around the other way, we've got to get past the firelord to make it to the exit."

Katara shrugged. "I don't see anyone suggesting a better plan. Besides, I've been doing well against him on my own. With three of us, he doesn't stand a chance."

"Okay," Meg sighed. "Let's go."

Meg and Katara blasted at the fire with all the water they could conjure until there was only steam and a few embers left. They ran through, Aang following, and avoided a wave of fire that the firelord tried to bring down on top of them. _I think we're going to make it out of the palace!_ Katara thought, excited. Her heart leapt at the sight of the door.

It dropped again at the sight of eight guards: the six who had held their arms, plus the two that had stood guard outside. "You don't have an appointment, do you?" one of the outside guards said.

The three of them were hauled to the dungeon.

:::

"This is just great," Meg yelled, kicking at the stone wall of their tiny cell. "Why didn't your buddy Zuko come and help us like he said?"

"I- I don't know," Katara said quietly, clutching onto the bars of the door. "Something must have happened, or he would have been here to help us." Meg just rolled her eyes, and Katara herself was unsure. _Should we have trusted him? He could've just abandoned us… or worse, led us into this trap in the first place._

Aang sat in the corner and pulled some marbles out of his pocket, spinning them around using wind. This was usually one of his favorite air tricks, but there was no joy on his face now.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked, walking over to him and putting her hand on his shoulder.

Meg snorted. "Besides the obvious." She gestured to indicate their prison cell.

"I just feel like I've been making everything worse," Aang said, putting away the marbles. "I've really been trying to help, but then I mess something up and you guys end up doing everything."

Meg looked like she was about to say something, but Katara elbowed her quickly. "It's okay," Katara said. "We know you were just trying to help."

Aang's face still looked forlorn… but only for a minute. Suddenly, he lifted his head and grinned. "Momo!" he shouted.

Slipping through the bars of the cell's window was the flying lemur, holding a ring of keys.


End file.
